


The Answer Is No

by DichotomyStudios



Series: Snapshots [1]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Meetings, Friendship, Gen, High School, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-05
Updated: 2010-11-05
Packaged: 2017-10-13 02:03:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/131590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DichotomyStudios/pseuds/DichotomyStudios
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Buck's mother meets the potentially bad element in her son's life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Answer Is No

**Author's Note:**

> * This snapshot was taken while Chris and Buck are in high school, very early in their friendship.  
> * For [B](/users/BMP). Much love to [charlottechill](/users/charlottechill) for the early edit.

“The answer is no.” She looked at Buck and then at his friend and their frowns of confusion.  She felt bad for a split second until she remembered countless news stories of high school sports gone wrong. “NO.”

“Now, hold on momma, you know I’d be real careful about this. It would be fun.” He was just oozing charm and false sincerity. Which only cemented her decision. Watching her son trying to wheedle and connive was a painful affair. Reminded her too much of too many men twice his age and half his brains. She _thought_ she’d taught him different than this. She sat at the tiny little dining table and lit a fresh cigarette, glaring at him over the flame.

“Bucklin Gabriel, don’t make me repeat myself. I don’t want you playing football. I’ve seen the news, I know what can happen out there. There was a boy in Texas that had an accident during one of them games and couldn’t walk anymore, did you know that? No older than you, can you imagine? And his momma, what that must have done to her?” She took a deep, hard drag of her cigarette and switched focus to Bucklin’s friend who looked like he was dying to say something. What was his name? Chris? Kid was all big eyes and expensive clothes. Poor thing looked like he hadn’t been fed in weeks.

“Mrs. Wilming-“

“MISS. Miss Wilmington, child. You don’t see a ring on this finger, do you? Mrs. Wilmington was my mother and don’t ever confuse the two of us if you want to stay on my good side, you hear?” She smiled a little to ease her words and blew smoke out of the corner of her mouth, away from the boys. She watched Chris purse his lips and nod his head politely while straightening his shoulders. He looked for all the world to be hiking up his britches for something. Oh, Lord, she thought, please don’t let this young know-nothing try to talk me into saying yes. Men always liked her better when she said yes.

“Miss Wilmington, ma’am.” She watched as her son tugged at the back of his friend’s neatly pressed plaid shirt, trying to get him to shut up before he made a fool out of himself. She almost smiled but smoked instead. “Buck and I have been throwing around a football and he’s, he’s very good.” Chris was looking at her, gauging her reaction to that before he went on. “I really think he could help us. The team, I mean. We need someone like him. I think if he’s with us we have a real chance to go to the state championships this year.” She laughed and Chris frowned. Men, whether they were young or old, rich or poor, they changed very little. Scheming, planning, always trying to work an angle. It was always about what they wanted.

“You can’t expect me to believe you figured all that out while you two threw around a football, can you, sugar?” She took a quick smoke and held it for a moment before her eyes fell on her son’s guilty face. She exhaled and said, “Buck, honey, just because I work a lot doesn’t mean it’s okay to lie to me about what you been doing with your day. You should have told me you’ve been practicing with these boys. What the hell were you gonna do if you got hurt, huh? Then what? You know I’m not making the same money I was before we came here. That little waitressing job don’t give me medical insurance, Bucklin.” Annoyed and a little worried about what else she’d missed while slaving away at the diner, she smoked and glared and waited for the truth to appear.

Her Bucklin was already nodding his head, mumbling a contrite ‘yes, ma’am’ and grabbing Chris’ arm, trying to pull him bodily away. But this friend of his was looking at them both, his head going back and forth like he was watching a tennis game, his eyes even bigger than before, acting as though he’d never seen anything like them in his life. And he didn’t budge, just stood there. He pulled away from Buck and sat across the table from her, suddenly far too serious and somber. She’d expected an attitude or laughter out of him, something dismissive and typical of teenagers but not the quiet way he put his hands together on top of the table and seemed to just… relax and look her straight in the eye like an adult. He had the disposition of a lawyer who was getting ready to plead for his client. It was ridiculous but she didn’t feel like laughing.

Suspicious, she looked at Buck and was shocked to see him so interested in his ratty sneakers, the tips of his ears flaming red, resigned to waiting as soon as Chris sat down. Bucklin had never, would never go against her but he hadn’t left Chris’ side, either. She wasn’t even sure how to feel about that. She’d never had problems with Bucklin before so she was more than ready to blame his new friend for… whatever they were planning here. She’d only met Chris in passing once before and he was pleasant enough, couth as a debutante, though, but her first reaction was surprise at how different Bucklin seemed around him. She’d watched them then, through the window of their trailer home, watched as the boys had stood on the nearby corner and talked about something she couldn’t hear. Bucklin was louder, outspoken, chattering away like someone else’s child, both hands gesturing wildly. And he’d laughed a lot. Her soft spoken, well-mannered, beautiful baby boy laughed more than he had in years.

She knew she asked a lot from him with all the moving around and never staying in one place too long. She knew it was hard for him to be patient while she worked gig after gig and the only friends he really had were the girls she worked with and that scrawny little black cat of his. But he never complained, he never cried, he was always helpful and understanding when she made money after hours and he never asked for much even now that he was too old for their daily cuddles. Until today. And here he was asking for something and she was saying no. She had her reasons for saying no but she didn’t need to explain herself to anybody. She was the only adult in the room, dammit. No way was she going to explain herself to children. The answer was no. And she would say it to Chris, too, just like that: NO.

She smoked a little and narrowed her eyes at the teenager across the table. About the same size as Buck but seemed a little older and worlds different, this kid who she didn’t really know, who she should know better if he felt comfortable speaking for her son. And Bucklin was letting Chris take a stand for him. Had anyone besides herself ever stood up for her son before? Was this the first time? The fact the boys were standing side by side against her like she was the enemy was, was… She was caught between resentment and anger. And felt guilty for both. They were just boys being boys, she told herself, boys wanting things that boys wanted. In her experience, though, most of the things boys wanted just turned them into men being men getting into trouble. This kid better not be trouble, she thought. She didn’t want to break Buck’s heart over his first real friend but she wouldn’t hesitate if this friend was no good.

She watched Chris take a breath but before he could say anything she exhaled hard in his direction and then held up her hand, waving away her own smoke and whatever he was going to say. She really didn’t want to hear it.

“Chris, right? Short for Christopher? I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve ever been properly introduced. What’s your last name, child?”

“Larabee.” Spoken in stereo, she turned to tell Buck she’d been _speaking_ to Chris but he was smiling at her with such an open, hopeful face she faltered. She swallowed her words to Bucklin and held out her hand to Chris, saying, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, young man.” He shook her hand, too adult by far. And then she demanded the only answer that was important to her.

“Now that we know each other, tell me something. How well do you know my son, Chris?” The way his eyes dropped to the table and a sweet smile escaped him surprised the hell out of her and she almost dropped her cigarette. Right when she’d about decided she didn’t want him around her boy, he showed her something real. He really did like Bucklin. Mentally, she scrambled around trying to recall all the things her son had mentioned about this kid. Buck had been so excited when she agreed they could stay in this town. Excited about staying in Indiana, of all places. But it wasn’t Indiana that had him staying, was it.

Chris finally raised his eyes to her again. Odd colored eyes. Sincere, though, now that she knew what to look for. “Well enough, ma’am. He’s a good… football player.” She listened to him trip on his own words and his eyes go shifty for a second and she knew he almost said _friend_. Seemed awful quick to her, though.

‘He’s good people.’ _That’s_ what Buck had said about this one. It was the way he’d said it that had made her pay attention. That was the same day he’d asked if they could stay in this city. He’d practically begged her to put down some roots for awhile, just a little while. He’d told her all about school and his teachers and new friends, he’d never had so many friends, and truth be told she was a little road weary, too. Was Chris the classmate with the recently deceased brother? An older brother, if she remembered correctly. She shuddered to think what it must be like to bury your child. To raise him up and have him that long only to lose him. She couldn’t help but glance at her own son and say a quick little prayer to keep him safe. Any mother would be devastated to lose a child. She imagined Chris must have a difficult home at the moment. Maybe that’s why they’d come together so fast, what with Chris losing a brother and Buck always being alone.

She stubbed out her cigarette and listened as Chris quietly told her the story of how he and Buck had met and she smiled, then laughed when Buck pee-shawed all over Chris’ story and spun one of his own. Similar stories, different details, and she watched their faces as Buck just became more insistent of his own truth in the face of Chris’ quiet stubborn refusal to change his details to suit Buck. They were disagreeing loudly even though Buck was the only one grandstanding to the whole damn room and Chris was just smirking and shaking his head. She hadn’t meant to be but she was completely delighted.

This was the point where she realized they’d forgotten all about her. This was also the point where she realized her baby was growing up and would have a life of his own someday soon.  A life where he didn’t need her anymore, not like he used to. Of course she’d known but she’d never had it thrown in her face before. The one person in her life who knew everything about her, all her good and bad and had never judged and loved her unconditionally. Where would she be without him? She’d lived the last 16 years for him and she wasn’t sure she knew how to have a life on her own. And Buck, who would watch over him then? They’d always had each other, what would happen to him on his own?

Hurting, she grabbed for another cigarette and when her lighter snapped shut the boys turned their heads in unison towards her as she smoked. One face embarrassed, one apologetic. She wondered at their friendship. She wondered if it would last, still be there when they married, had kids of their own. Or would they fall to pieces over a woman, come to blows and hate because of jealousy and male ego. They were so young, there was no telling. She could only hope Buck would remember half of what she’d tried to teach him and find someone to share his life who would be loyal and honest and make him happy. Hopefully he’d have friends who would see how special he was, who would care for him enough to keep him safe. That wasn’t too much to ask for, was it? And maybe, maybe one day he’d even have a family of his own. Selfishly, she hoped it would be a big family. A huge family. With a lot of love to go around and maybe she could visit on holidays. That didn’t sound so bad.

“Chris, if I let Bucklin do this, how do I know he’ll be okay? It’s dangerous out there, you know.” She felt like a fool just hanging on his answer, smoking and hoping this new friend was the real deal and didn’t turn around and break Buck’s heart. It was obvious Buck really wanted this, grinning his fool head off, looked like he was about to break into bluebird song any second. She could only pray she was doing right by him and wouldn’t regret it later.

“Well. The school has really great equipment, ma’am. State of the art. The helmets they just bought us –“

“NO. No. That’s not what I mean.” She felt helpless for a moment and smoked a little more while the boys traded another confused look. She wasn’t the most educated woman but she felt like she really needed to find the right words for this. She tamped out her half smoked cigarette and turned to face out the window because she couldn’t bear to watch either of their faces for a second, especially when all she wanted to do was cry. “I need to know someone will be looking out for my son. Can you do that for me?” She thought she’d hear laughter but all she heard was the truth.

“Yes."


End file.
